Gonzales, Diaz win on card at DePaul

April 12, 2003|By Michael Hirsley, Tribune staff reporter.

Julio Gonzales chased and wrestled with Ken Bowman for nearly three rounds but slowed down the elusive Chicagoan with hard body shots before knocking him out with a clean right uppercut in their light-heavyweight bout Friday night.

It was the second quick knockout in the two co-features before an enthusiastic crowd of 2,000 at the DePaul Athletic Center. Earlier, Chicago super-lightweight David Diaz floored Franco Ogentho of Uganda three times to gain a first-round technical knockout.

"I knew I'd hurt him with the first body shot I landed, and my corner told me not to be too anxious," said Gonzales, of Huntington Beach, Calif., who raised his status as a contender as he improved to 33-1 with 22 knockouts. "I was holding the uppercut while I threw looping punches to bring him in closer.

"I saw him coming in and caught him perfectly with the right."

Bowman (31-6), who did not rise after being dropped in the final second of the third round, said his jaw was rattled by the clean shot and "I couldn't close my mouth."

Diaz credited his training for his impressive showing.

"We trained, worked hard for this one," said Diaz, who improved to 18-0 with 10 knockouts, a ratio he has improved since struggling to get knockouts in his early fights. "I think it boils down to how you work out. My work ethic is better."

Diaz stunned Ogentho (15-4) with a solid left seconds into the fight and dropped him with another. When Ogentho rose, Diaz drove him into the ropes with a flurry and knocked him down again with a right hook.